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Bear Digest

One Potential Old Solution Exists to New Chicago Bears Injury Issue

The injury report on a Thursday when the Bears didn't practice was alarming, particularly when kicker Cairo Santos was put on it.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cairo Santos kicks an extra point against Cleveland in preseason. Santos had a shorter kick than that blocked on Sunday..
Cairo Santos kicks an extra point against Cleveland in preseason. Santos had a shorter kick than that blocked on Sunday.. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

The reported absence of Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent if the Bears would have held a practice Thursday was expected, and running back Kyle Monangai's absence was also anticipated after he missed Wednesday's practice with a knee injury.

The really disturbing aspect of the report is kicker Cairo Santos' hip injury. It was bad enough he wouldn't have practiced if one had been held. It's also to the right hip, his kicking leg.

Santos has missed games in the past because of various injuries and it's always a difficult situation. They don't have an extra kicker on the practice squad this year like they did last year when Jake Moody was signed after being released by the 49ers.

Moody came on to kick two games for Santos and went 8-for-9, including the winning points on the last play in the middle of bad weather in Washington. Then he went on to kick for the Commanders afer Santos returned.

Santos had a critical field goal blocked in Sunday's loss to Minnesota after the blocking collapsed on the left side of the Bears' line, and the snap had come in high. It led to rookie long snapper Beau Gardner being released and brought back to the practice squad while former Bears long snapper Scott Daly was reclaimed off the Saints' practice squad.

Considering how big the kicker position is to scoring and also field position with the new kickoff rules, the Bears might need to consider adding a kicker.

The good news is there is a kicker available who has strong Bears ties should they find out Santos can't play this week. It's Moody.

Familiar face could help

After Moody was with Washington last season, he lost a training camp battle this year to undrafted rookie Drew Stevens. The Ravens signed Moody to their practice squad but he was released a week and a half ago. Even if he was on a practice squad, the Bears could claim him but would then need to put him on the 53-man roster. They don't have to worry about that now.

Everything depends on how serious the injury to Santos is. They could make it easier for themselves by signing Moody to the practice squad and then elevating him if it turned out Santos couldn't kick Monday night. That way they could avoid other roster moves and could simply keep Santos inactive for the game

Moody made 18 of 20 field goals last year with the Bears and Commanders after he had been released for a poor start with the 49ers. He'd be an ideal addition now should they need to go in that direction. Will the cycle repeat?

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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